L-glutathione

Decreased Glutathione levels have been linked to a number of age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s and macular degeneration. A 2004 study by the University of Alabama found that the red blood cells in male Alzheimer’s patients showed a significant lack of glutathione. A study of patients with heart disease found that the lower the levels of glutathione, the more likely they were to have a heart attack.

Glutathione’s strong antioxidant properties make it suitable as a supplement particularly cases of disadvantageous cell growth such as cancer tumors and lipomas. Glutathione is not able to cure cancer, but several studies suggest that the growth of new cancer cells may be reduced. Some doctors therefore recommend its supplementation to treat cancer, as it increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs and reduces their toxicity.

Glutathione has also been used to treat Parkinson’s disease, sickle cell anaemia, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and poisoning, as it is able to detoxify the body of heavy metals such as mercury.

Glutathione is able able to positively influence the quality of sperm in men. This effect is achieved by the lowering of blood pressure in cases of diabetic patients, decreasing oxidative stress on the sensitive sperm cells and therefore minimizing damage to their DNA cargo4.

It is therefore recommended that couples, who are trying to conceive supplement various micro-nutrients. In particular, they should consume N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), which is used in the body to produce L-glutathione.